Author: Website Administrator
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WKYT) – The Scott County Amateur Radio Club celebrated Field Day Saturday, June 27.
Each year, teams across the country set up temporary transmitting stations in public places.
The people show off their ham radios and compete to contact as many people as possible.
Those involved with the event said amateur radio has many uses as a hobby, public service, and even emergency preparedness.
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The FCC has announced that rule changes detailed in a lengthy 2019 Report and Order governing RF exposure standards go into effect on May 3, 2021. The new rules do not change existing RF exposure (RFE) limits but do require that stations in all services, including amateur radio, be evaluated against existing limits unless they are exempted. For stations already in place, that evaluation must be completed by May 3, 2023. After May 3 of this year, any new station, or any existing station modified in a way that’s likely to change its RFE profile – such as different antenna or placement or greater power – will need to conduct an evaluation by the date of activation or change.
The Report and Order can be found online in PDF format at, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-19-126A1.pdf .
A ham radio license plate designed by ARRL member Matt Makaveli, KY4GPD, of Georgetown, Kentucky, has received the approval of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). His design was one of four options, which included retaining the current license plate design. The ham radio community in the Bluegrass State picked Makaveli’s design with a 41% plurality.
“It just hasn’t sunk in,” Makaveli toldthe Georgetown News-Graphic. “I’m just amazed that it actually went. Somebody in the state government must’ve liked the idea.”
The lengthy approval process involved some footwork on the part of the ARRL Field Organization in Kentucky. After the polling ended, ARRL Kentucky Section State Government Liaison Jack Hedges, KY4TPR, met with the KYTC for final approval on Makaveli’s design.
“If there’s ever an example of what the ARRL organization can do for the ham radio community, this would be it,” Hedges told the newspaper.
The new license plate will not available until the current stock of plates is depleted, which is anticipated to be next summer.
ARRL Kentucky Section Manager Steve Morgan, W4NHO, told the newspaper that a ham radio license plate is important to build awareness of amateur radio. “The amateur radio license plate is sort of like a billboard saying you’re from Kentucky and you’re a ham radio operator,” Morgan said. Makaveli agreed, saying he thought the current design had become stale and did not stand out.
A ham for 6 years, Makaveli is a certified SKYWARN storm spotter and an assistant Emergency Coordinator for Scott County, Kentucky. “I heard some people already said they like the new design and are going to switch when it comes out,” Makaveli told the newspaper.
A ham radio license place in Kentucky costs $46 with a $25 “personalization” charge. Renewals will cost $21.